Chapter 1. Playful Conversations Start

Jess Parker sat at her desk going through files, files on her future and former teammates, mission reports, anything she could get her hands on. She would be the ARC's new field coordinator, so it was her job to know everything. Truthfully, she was happy to have them to go through, for the last two weeks she'd been at the ARC, by herself getting things set up.

She sat back in her chair and opened the file for Captain Becker, he's cute, she thought, looking at the picture on the first page. Captain Becker would be arriving sometime that day, to get acquainted with the new set up, so she wanted to get familiarized with his file especially. Seven years in the military, brought up in a military family, played rugby in high school, his list of military achievements were impressive as well.

She heard the ding of the elevator and hurried out into the hall to find Captain Becker, staring straight ahead, only briefly flicking his gaze to his watch.

"Captain Becker!"

He turned in her direction, eyebrow raising as he took in her appearance, which she knew didn't exactly scream government regulation, she'd always been a bright dresser, that days lime green ruffle top and mini skirt being no exception.

"Welcome to the ARC…the new ARC…you have no idea how good it is to finally have some company here."

His face was a mixture of amusement and surprise,

"I'm supposed to report to Parker," he said.

"Jess Parker, at your service," she said extending a hand.

"You're the…field…coordinator?" he asked, as if he were waiting on the punch line of a joke.

"Sorry, I'm not normally this crazy, at least not unpleasantly so," she rambled.

Great job, Jess, he's going to commit you to an asylum in a minute, she thought to herself.

"Come on, I'll show you where you can set up." she said trying to regain some sense of professional composure.

He leaned against a table in the main operations room going through the file for their new team leader, Matt Anderson.

"Is he the only candidate?" he asked, flipping back and forth between two pages.

"Got to the bit about Everest?" she asked.

"The way some people find it necessary to boast about things," he noted sarcastically.

"Insecure much?" she teased, walking over to the ADD.

"Excuse me?" Becker asked, following her over.

She laughed softly, "It's nothing, but if you're going to put the brakes on this guy for being too good, that would be pretty lame" she was teasing him, she hadn't seen him smile once.

"No one is putting the brakes on anyone!" he exclaimed, accent raising a couple octaves.

"He's ex military, decorated for heroism, an expert in animal behavior and he has countless glowing references, he's perfect," she chided playfully.

"I merely meant was he the only candidate?" Becker replied gesturing erratically with the files.

"Anyone would think you didn't want your boss to be better than you are," she goaded, a small smile playing at her lips.

"Ahh…I see, you're making fun of me." he said, catching on.

She laughed, "Totally, just checking to see if you smiled, and you do," she replied, smile brightening.

Over the next few days she found herself spending a lot of time with Becker, he wasn't at all the overly serious, stick in the mud military man, the mission reports had made him out to be. He was actually very easy to talk to and quite funny.

She was sitting at her desk when Matt came in,

"Where's Becker?" he asked.

"I think he went for a run, why?"

"I want to introduce him to the EMDs, get him back here, will you?"

"On it," she said pulling out her cell, and sending him a text message.

Matt wants you back at the ARC, the EMDs are here and he wants to show you how they operate.

It wasn't long before her cell beeped,

Sounds fun. read his reply, she could hear the sarcasm in his voice through the text

Sarcastic much, lol, she replied

LOL?

She laughed, leave it to Becker not to know internet speak.

Laugh out loud, we really need to work on your internet speak.

We can do that later, he replied.

:D

Smiley face? he wrote back.

Right! she typed back, laughing.

I see it, now. he responded.

You are too cute, Becker :D, she responded, a small smile playing at her lips.

:D

I have you using emoticons, that makes me quite happy :D

I'm not going to make a habit of it. Professionalism. I'm getting ready to start driving back to the ARC, see you when I get there.

She tucked her phone in her purse, smiling to herself. Working with Captain Becker was going to either be a very good thing or a very bad thing.

"The playful conversation starts, counter all your quick remarks like passing notes in secrecy, and it was enchanting to meet you." Taylor Swift